Accordion shift mechanism



July 16, 1940. c LINDEBERG 2,208,375

ACCORDION SHIFT MECHANISM Filed July 2, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l @ihin'i 5 M [I [I U 3 2; E] [J [m @fiiiif D U C L D [in U L'UUUU im 5 m m 5115m AT ORNEYS.

July 16 19400 c. LINDEBERG ACCORDION SHIFT MECHANISM Filed July 2, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 05m Z/flDfEf/FGZ BY ,Z%% fi ATTORNE July 16, 1940. c UNDEBERG 2,208,375

A CCCCC ION SHIFT MECHANISM Filed July 2, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1,. J12. N i nm 1 INVENTOR. 6771?; A mat-50%.

I AT ORNEY o M Q 7k m q QR/ F Patented July 16, 1940 PATENT OFFICE ACCORDION SHIFT MECHANISM Carl Lindeberg, De Kalb, Ill., assignor to The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Cincinnati, Ohio,

a corporation Application July 2, 1938, Serial No. 217,167

Claims.

This invention relates to a shift mechanism for accordions having slide valves associated with the several reed blocks for varying the combinations of reeds employed at any given time, and thus vary the quality of the tone produced by the instrument.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a shift mechanism having a plurality of actuator keys for actuating interconnecting mechanism to operate certain individual slide valves and various combinations thereof in accordance with the operation of each individual key. Thus, upon operating any one of said keys a different tonal effect is obtained. For example, in a four reed accordion tuned 220, 440, 880, 438, nine separate and distinct predetermined combinations or musical effects may be obtained through the medium of nine corresponding keys. The operation of one key also has the effect of automatically cancelling any previously operated key. Thus, a series of individual keys are provided for manipulating the slide valves or combinations thereof to produce a series of corresponding tonal effects. In addition thereto, there is provided a master actuator or key which will cancel out any previously actuated key and bring all slide valves to open position for producing afull accordion effect.

More specifically, a greater number of keys are provided than slide valves; for example there being disclosed herein four pairs of slide valves and nine keys, certain of the keys actuating the certain slide valves individually, while the remaining keys actuate varying combinations of slide valves, and wherein the master key returns all actuated slide valves to open position.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

Fig. l is an end view of the treble portion of an accordion showing a horizontal section through the keyboard. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the underside of the keyboard illustrating the position of the shift keys mounted thereunder, shown in full accordion position. Fig. 3 is a View of the interior of the wind box showing the actuating bars in plan. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section through the wind box showing a side elevation of the actuating bars and connections therewith. Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 66 of Fig. 4. Fig.7 is a diagrammatical layout of the actuating bars and their associated shift pins. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing an end portion of the wind box with the slide valves in place, the reed blocks being eliminatedfor clearance. Fig. 9 is a section through a portion of the wind box showing one end of a reed block in elevation, illustrating the actuating connections with the slide valve.

In the drawings there is shown a portion of a piano accordion with the bottom cover removed from the key bed .90, thus exposing the shift mechanism mounted thereon. The wind chest for the treble reeds is shown at H, with portions of its walls broken away to reveal the mechanical connections. The shift mechanism includes a lo plurality of slidable actuator bars I2 which are mounted for sliding movement parallel to each other and transversely of the front edge 13 of the key bed. Each of said actuator bars is provided with a manually engageable button M positioned in front of the edge 53 of the key bed adapted to be pushed inwardly when actuated, from an outward position to an inward position. Each actuator bar i2 is provided with guide slots I5 through which guide posts it extend into the key bed ii} The wind chest I I is provided with several rows or blocks of reeds, each sub-divided into separate reed chambers, as indicated at ll, with ports l8 for each of said chambers through which air 5 flows for sounding the corresponding reeds. The several rows of ports 18 are controlled by slide valves I9, corresponding pairs of which are adapted to be shifted individually or in predetermined combinations by each individual actuator bar I2. 30 The inner operating end of each actuator bar is bifurcated, as indicated at 20, for operatively engaging a'pin 2! on the end of a bell crank lever fulcrumed at 22. Said bell crank lever is provided with an arm 23 carrying the pin 2| extending externally of the wall of the wind chest 8 l and an associated arm 24 extending internally thereof, said arms being rigidly connected by the fulcrum 22 extending through said wall.

Each of the actuator bars 52 is provided with a spring 25 for yieldingly urging it to normal position, that is, toward the edge 53 of the key bed with the buttons i l extending outwardly. When any one of the actuator bars is depressed in opposition to its spring 25, it is retained in its actuated position by a pawl or detent '26 pivoted at 21 upon the key bed it Said pawl is provided with a head adapted to engage in a notch 28 formed in the bar secured to the bed iii. Adjacent the notch there is a second notch which provides a cam surface indicated at 30 which moves the pawl 26 about its pivotal mounting upon the bar being actuated. Each bar has an individual pawl associated therewith, each of which is pivotally connected to a release bar 3| for the purpose hereinafter described. I,

The release bar 3| is provided with a series of longitudinal slots 32 through which the pins 33 extend secured to the key bed III for guiding and permitting sliding movement of said bar transversely to the actuator bars I2. One end of the release bar 3| is connected with a spring 34 which is anchored to the key bed at 35. This spring, through the release bar, normally retains the pawls 26 in the notch 28 or the notch associated with the cam surface 30. The elfect of this arrangement is to cause the automatic release of an operated actuator bar l2 upon operation of another actuator. Thus, the operated actuator is locked in operated position by engagement of the pawl 26 in the notch 28 against the tension of spring 25. Upon operation of another actuator, the cam surface 30 will force the pawl outwardly, carrying with it the release bar 3| against the tension of the spring 34, which will withdraw the pawl 26 from the notch 28 of the operated actuator which will then be returned to initial position under the tension of spring 25.

The release bar 3| has one end connected with a rod 36 extending through one end of the key board In to a chin operated actuator 31 acting as a master switch. Upon depressing the same, the release bar 3| is moved to release any operated actuator so that all-slide valves will be returned to initial, open or full accordion position. While the master actuator 37 is shown as a chin operated switch positioned at one end of the key board, it is obvious that it may be located at any convenientposition, such as adjacent to or along the front edge thereof.

Mounted internally of the wind chest II and along the wall thereof through which the fulcrums 22 extend, there are slidably mounted a plurality of transmission bars designated as a group by the numeral 38. Said bars extend longitudinally of the wind chest and are slidably supported upon the blocks 39 by the brackets 40 secured adjacent opposite ends thereof to the wall of the wind chest.

As illustrated in Fig. 7, said bars 38 are numbered individualy as to 9, inclusive, there being one bar associated with each of the nine actuator bars I2. The respective bars 38 are provided with shoulders 4| spaced longitudinally thereof in position to be engaged by a pin 42 when moved in one direction (herein shown as to the left), said pin projecting from the free end of the arm 24 of the bell crank lever. For convenience, the

- actuator bars I2 and the buttons l4 may be correspondingly numbered to 9, inclusive. Upon operation of a particular actuator, the pin 42, through the bell crank 23, 24, will engage the shoulder 4| of the corresponding bar 38 and slide it into actuated position.

Each of said bars 38 is provided with one or more reversely disposed shoulders 43. Each of these shoulders is designated by the letters A, B, C and D. There are four groups. For example, group A extends in alignment on bars 5-9, inclusive; group'B extends in alignment on b'ars I-IS, inclusive, and 8; group C extends in alignment on bars 2, 4, 5 and I; and group D extends in alignment on bars 3, 4 and 6. Each group A, B, C and D corresponds to the four slide valves I9, which for convenience may be designated as valves A-D, inclusive. In position to be engaged and actuated by said shoulders 43 there are 1 laterally extending pins 44 secured to the arms 45 pivoted at 46 to a block 41. A spring 48 has one end connected with the free end of the arm 45 and the other end connected with said block. Secured to each of the free ends of said arms 45 there are connecting rods 49 which may be designated by the letters A, B, C and D. The other end of each of said rods is pivotally connected with the corresponding arm 50 secured to a rock Each rock shaft is provided with an upstanding shift pin'52 extending into engagement with its corresponding pair of slide valves |9 which may be designated by the corresponding letters A, B, C and D.

Upon the actuation of any one of the bars 38, through its actuating pin 42, the sliding movement thereof will cause the shoulder or shoulders 43 provided thereon to engage one or more of the pins 44 which will slide the valves to closed position through the medium of the corresponding connecting rods 49, arms 50, rock shafts 5| and shift pins 52.

In operation, upon pressing in actuator bar No. I the shift bar No. I will shift the slide valves B to closed position. Similarly, shift bar No. 2 will close valves B and C; shift bar No. 3 will close valves B and D; shift bar No. 4 will close valves B, C and D; shift bar No. 5 will close valves A, B and C; shift bar No. 9 will close valves A. Operation of the master actuator will open all valves for the full accordion effect. It is to be noted that upon shifting the bars as above described, any previously shifted bar will be released and returned to initial or valve open position.

Springs 48 normally tend to maintain the valves in open position or return them to open position when the shift mechanism is released while the hair pin spring 25 connected with the actuatorbars I2 tends to return the bars to initial position when released by the pawl 26.

For convenience and illustration of one application of the invention to a four reed accordion, the following table is indicative of the effects obtained:

Reeds closed Reeds open cam Whereas the accordion shift mechanism has been herein illustrated by disclosing and describing one means of accomplishing the desired result, and as applied to a four reed accordion with nine actuator bars or shift keys, it is to be understood that the valves and combination of valves may be similarly actuated in different numbers and groups and with varying numbers I of actuators, to obtain more or less and different combinations of slide valves and total qualities, all without departing from the invention'except in so far as indicated in the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. In an accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, and a series of manually operated actuators, each of said actuators being operably associated with a different combination of valves, mechanism operated by one of said actuators for moving the predetermined combination of valves operably associated therewith from initial to actuated position, springs for returning said valves to initial position, and means to release said ac-' tuator to permit operation of said springs upon operation of another one of said actuators.

2. In an accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, and a series of manually operated actuators, each of said actuators being operably associated with a different combination of valves,

mechanism oporated by one of said actuators for moving the predetermined combination of valves operably associated therewith from initial to actuated position, springs for returning said valves to initial position, and means to release said actuator to permit operation of said springs actuated by a master switch, whereby all valves will thereupon be returned to initial position.

3. In an accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, and a valve slidably associated with each block to open or close the same, a plurality of manually operated individual actuators, a longitudinally slidable bar extending at right angles to and operably connected with each actuator to be longitudinally moved thereby, means on each of said bars for moving a predetermined combination of valves from initial to actuated position, and means associated with said valves and operable upon the release of an actuated bar for returning its associated valves to initial position.

4. In an accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, and a valve associated with each block toopen or close the same, a member connected with each of said valves for moving it from one position to the other, a plurality of manually operated individual actuators, a bar associated with each of said actuators and movable thereby, one or more projections on said bars arranged in predetermined relation with respect to said members for moving selected members from initial to actuated position upon operation of the associated actuator, and means for returning certain of said valves, bar and actuator to initial position upon operation of another actuator.

5. In an accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, control valves therefor, and manually operated actuators for said valves, a series of sliding bars, a plurality of projections on each bar, means for engaging said bar for moving it to actuated position upon operation of its associated actuator, and means operably connected with said valves positioned to be engaged by the projections on said bars respectively for causing a plurality of predetermined valves to be moved to actuated position thereby.

6. In an accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, control valves therefor, and manually operated actuators for said valves, a series of sliding bars, a plurality of projections on each bar, means for engaging said bar for moving it to actuated position upon operation of its associated actuator, means operably connected with said valves positioned to be engaged by the projections on said bars respectively for causing a plurality of predetermined valves to be moved to actuated position thereby, and means for returning certain of said valves to initial position independently of each other.

'7. An accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, valves therefor, and a series oi manually operated actuators, a set or" slide bars, each bar being moved longitudinally to actuated position by its actuator, and means on certain of said bars for moving a plurality of predetermined valves to actuated position.

8. An accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, valves therefor, and a series of manually operated actuators, a set of slide bars, each bar being moved longitudinally to actuated position by its actuator, means on certain of said bars for moving a plurality of predetermined valves to actuated position, means for automatically returning an actuated bar to initial position upon actuation of another bar, and means for returning certain of the actuated valves to initial position upon their eiTective actuating bar being returned to initial position.

9. An accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, a plurality of slide valves therefor, a series of manually operated actuators, a series of corresponding movable members, each member being individually and separately operated by one of said actuators, means controlled by certain of said members for moving a predetermined combination of said valves to actuated position, a spring associated with each valve for normally returning it to initial position, latching means for retaining an operated actuator in actuated position under spring tension, and means for operating said latching means to release said operated actuator for permitting the actuated valve to be returned to initial position upon operation of another actuator.

10. An accordion having a plurality of reed blocks, a plurality of slide valves therefor, a series of exposed manually-operated actuators, a corresponding series of slidable bars movable at right angles to the movement of said actuators, bell crank levers operably connecting each of said actuators with its corresponding bar, a control rod connected with each of said valves, and one or more projections on said bars engageable with said valve rods for actuating one or more of said valves on movement of said bar, said projections being so arranged as to engage different predetermined combinations of valve rods.

CARL LINDEBERG. 

